Page 74 of One More Time
‘When?’ Lucy asked, confused.
‘When she texted me the schedule.’
‘You text with my daughter?’ Lucy asked.
‘Yup,’ he replied into Lucy’s ear, sending goose bumps down her neck. ‘The tall one with the iPad sat me down here. I think she recognized me.’
‘Famous-guy superpowers,’ Lucy whispered back.
Their attention slid back to the aisle where the bridesmaids and groomsmen were finishing their paired walks to the front of the room.
Then, the music changed, and all assembled stood and faced the entry doors.
For her part, Lucy braced herself for the wave of emotions that always accompanied ‘I Choose You’ by Sara Bareilles. The string version, along with her daughter gliding down the aisle on Brandon’s arm was just that much more devastating. Jesus, when Chloe had the wedding dress on, Lucy would be a mess.
Lucy felt Nicky’s hand settle on her hip, holding her steady. With his other hand, he produced a silk handkerchief.
Good Lord, who is this man?
She looked up at him, tears making him a fuzzy kaleidoscopic version of himself. Lucy was sure that awe and wonder were smeared all over her face like cheap lipstick, but she couldn’t help it. Couldn’t have stopped it even if she’d wanted to.
When they were seated again, and Tiffy was back to pep-talking and commanding the wedding party like the world’s prettiest brigadier general, Nicky leaned toward Lucy. He rested his left hand on her right knee, and Lucy felt it in her belly.
He touched his lips to her ear and said, ‘Remind me again, what’s the groom’s name? Ross? Joey?’
Lucy chuckled quietly behind the handkerchief. ‘Chandler,’ she said.
‘I was close,’ he teased.
‘You got the category right.’
‘Does he have a brother named Ross? Sister named Joey?’ Nicky teased.
‘Monica,’ Lucy replied.
‘For real?’
‘No.’ Lucy smiled. ‘His only brother’s the best man. Mason.’
‘Chandler and Mason,’ Nicky said as though rolling the sounds around in his mouth. ‘Sounds like a law firm.’
‘Conner and Wade?’ Lucy said with a wink, recalling his own son’s names.
‘Touché, Rollins.’
‘Are either of your boys married?’ Lucy asked.
‘Nope. They’re both a little more Tinder, a little less Match.com.’
She laughed. ‘Gotcha.’
Lucy’s brain proffered:I can’t wait to meet them.Then she mentally punched her damn brain in the mouth.Stop it.She had to stop it.
Lucy focused her attention on Tiffy, and managed to make it through the rest of the rehearsal without any more daydreams about impossible things.
CHAPTER THIRTY
NICKY
